Yup, you read that right! Apple’s MagSafe will be openly available for Android smartphone makers thanks to the Qi2 wireless charging standard based on the Apple technology.
Apple MagSafe – Android
The new wireless charging standard – Qi2 was announced by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) in January 2023. Despite being announced earlier this year, it is set to launch a year later with Qi2 chargers expected to arrive in December.
What’s new with the Qi2 wireless charging standard?
It was revealed that Apple played a big part in making Qi2 happen, including sharing the original MagSafe tech with the WPC. This, in turn, will make the standard open and free for all manufacturers.
The previous standard, Qi charging used inductive charging and uses the electromagnetic to transfer energy between the charger and the device. The new standard though, thanks to Apple, will use rings of magnets to offer a less finicky wireless charging experience.
There will be two types of Qi2 chargers – one featuring the Apple Magnetic Power Profile that maxes out at 15W (yes, this is the MagSafe one) and one based on the Extended Power Profile with double the charging speeds. Despite the faster charging speed though, the latter won’t support MagSafe.
The new charging standard won’t necessarily keep your phone cooler while charging wirelessly compared to the current Qi standard. However, with it being magnetic, there is the option to have a charger with a built-in cooling fan to aid in cooling the device and preserve the phone’s battery condition.
Visit the official WPC website to read more about the Qi2 standard.
When will we see the new MagSafe-based charging standard on Android devices?
While the standard is open for everyone to use, it will still depend on the manufacturers to add the technology to their devices. As of writing this, there are no devices that are rumored to support this technology. Samsung and Google, though are at the forefront of the expected companies to use it.
That said though, we hope to see the new wireless charging technology on more devices and even a wider variety of accessories.
The new standard and Apple’s recent adoption of the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 series will make it easier for everyone to charge their device, regardless of whether their friends are Apple or Android users.
Ram found his love and appreciation for writing in 2015 having started in the gaming and esports sphere for GG Network. He would then transition to focus more on the world of tech which has also began his journey into learning more about this world. That said though, he still has the mentality of "as long as it works" for his personal gadgets.
